We've talked a lot about how to influence your senses to create a more productive work environment. Everything from color and sound to having greenery in your peripheral vision can have an impact on your performance at work. Sound seems to vary, though. Some suggest certain types of music, while others say the background sounds of a coffee shop are best for productivity. But the correct answer might just be hidden in your video games.
Christofer Karltop, CEO of professional creative network Zerply, turned to the soundtracks of video games when he realized that classical music was too soothing to really keep him going.
"If you listen to it over and over again, it never gets boring, it continues to pulse," Karltorp told Fast Company of video game soundtracks. "I started diving in and realizing that there is this whole world of people remixing video game music and that there's this community out there that has discovered the same thing that I have,"
Karltop's discovery led him to realizing that it's the games of his childhood, such as StarCraft, Street Fighter and Final Fantasy, that work best to keep him productive. He says the music was designed to help players get to the next level, but doesn't take away from your concentration.
It's there in the background," said Karltorp. "It doesn't get too intrusive, it keeps you going, and usually stays on a positive tone, too, which I found is important."
Interestingly enough, Karltop has even identified which soundtracks work best for specific tasks. For example, when he is answering emails he will play the Street Fighter II soundtrack. "I know how long it is," he said. "I listen to it so much, it puts external pressure on me to finish up before the album comes to an end."
However, this method doesn't quite work for everyone. As Fast Company notes, listening to video game soundtracks at work are most effective for those who are gamers and have a connection to the specific soundtracks.
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